Bell Kamaz provides a win-win for customers and economy

Published: 19 March 2018

The benefit of Bell Equipment's partnership with Russian-based tipper truck specialist, Kamaz, goes beyond providing the company's southern Africa customers with a premium tipper truck range backed by leading local support. It has also created an opportunity for Bell to strengthen its commitment to the local manufacturing sector and promote economic growth.

The new partnership was celebrated at a festive Russian-themed evening at bauma CONEXPO AFRICA 2018 in March, where the Dakar-winning Kamaz range of tipper trucks was formally launched to customers to mark the first phase of introduction.

According to Bell Equipment Product Marketing Manager, Brad Castle, the initial range consists of four models. "There are two 6x4 trucks, with payload capacities of 15 tonnes and 20 tonnes respectively, as well as an 8x4 with a payload of 25,5 tonnes, and a 6x6 truck with a 19,5 tonnes payload, which we are particularly excited about.

"The 6x6 bridges the gap between an articulated dump truck and a conventional tipper. All wheel drive, good ground clearance of 396mm, strength, and inter-axle and centre differential locks allow the truck to operate well on less maintained or more uneven work sites and makes it suitable for operation 12 months of the year," says Castle. Due to its off-road capabilities Bell anticipates this truck gaining popularity for niche applications such as forestry fire trucks.

Bell sees potential for the 8x4 truck in high production applications such as mines and quarries. "The two rear axles and two front steering axles provide optimised weight distribution, which allows the truck to carry heavier payloads, for greater productivity," explains Castle.

The smaller 6x4 trucks, by comparison, are traditional tippers ideally suited to small contractors and municipalities with a combination of on-road and off-road duties. Apart from transporting material in a conventional tipping bin, they can also be fitted with various body options for use as a refuse handler, cement mixer, flat deck and a skip-lift, among others.

The three larger trucks are equipped with proven 400hp (294kW) Kamaz-built engines that supply power through a trusted ZF transmission. This power is successfully transferred onto the ground by hub and differential reductions. The smallest model in the range is powered by the popular 282hp (207kW) Cummins engine, also through a ZF transmission. Due to the lower power only differential reduction is required. All models have traction control for difficult underfoot conditions.

Air suspended cabs and seats are designed for operator safety and comfort. In addition Bell will offer personalised configurations of the cab chassis according to the customer's requirements enabling the Kamaz trucks to be tailored to all industries from forestry and agriculture, to quarries and mines, as well as general construction.

To meet the different market requirements in the region, Bell will also bring in left-hand drive vehicles on direct order for customers in the Democratic Republic of Congo, while right-hand drive models will be stocked for other countries in the region. During the first phase all trucks will be shipped on RORO (roll on, roll off) vessels.

Significant investments have already been made in training staff and stocking parts in the company's logistics warehouse. Bell has made an additional investment to commission a CKD (complete knockdown) assembly line at its Richards Bay factory for the local assembly of Kamaz tippers, as part of the second phase. Castle said the projected roll out of the first trucks from the Bell assembly line is during the last quarter of 2018 or first quarter of 2019. "The investment in local manufacture is geared towards achieving shorter truck lead times for our customers and creating employment opportunities that will significantly contribute towards economic growth," he adds.

In conclusion Castle said: "To win the Dakar Rally, 'the world's most gruelling rally' you need a strong reliable product backed by strong reliable support. To win it fifteen times, like Kamaz has done, you also need consistency. The Bell Kamaz partnership is therefore based on similar values and proven beliefs as Bell Equipment focuses on consistently providing strong reliable machines with strong reliable support. We are confident that with this, together with the proven Kamaz product and our first-rate support structures, we have a winning formula to help our customers succeed."